Confirmed: iOS 4.3 Will Feature Personal Hotspots

After yesterday’s Verizon iPhone announcement, it was already clear that Apple would bring personal hotspots – that is the ability to use the iPhone as a WiFi router for up to 5 devices – to other networks as well. Today, Apple released the first beta of iOS 4.3 for iPhone and iPad to developers and this version does indeed offer personal hotspots just like the Verizon iPhone pundits got to gaze at yesterday.

Now it’s just up to AT&T and friends to actually support this feature and enable them on the carrier side. Given how long it took AT&T to actually support a basic feature like tethering, I’m not holding my breath.

Other new features (mostly for the iPad) according to those who’ve actually seen iOS 4.3:
[list type=”tick”]

swipe up to open the multitasking tray

swipe left and right to switch apps

4 and 5 finger gestures – though I’m not quite sure what those will be used for, yet

the iPad side switch can now be set back to bein an orientation lock (Apple turned it into a mute switch in the last update)